TPT November 2011

I ndustry N ews AddisonMckee helps world’s leading stairlift manufacturer move up to the next level

ADDISONMCKEE has supplied another one of its state-of-the-art DB 89 electric bending machines to the world’s leading stairlift manufacturer. Its relationship with the customer in question is a longstanding one with its origins in two hydraulic machines supplied some sixteen years ago. One key advantage of the electric machine over its hydraulic forebears is the fact that the machine ‘teaches’ itself and reduces set-up times, automatically making any necessary adjustments and eliminating the need for manual re- setting. What’s more, wherever the metal is sourced from and whatever its grade, the machine will manufacture a more repeatable component that matches the original drawing first time. Most importantly of all, because no two staircases are exactly the same and many have a gentle curvature, one of the customer’s prime requirements was the capability for freeform bending. So, as well as using standard tools, the DB 89 machine uses rollers on to the die and clamp, then pushes the tube to generate an infinitely variable radius between the rollers. A minor angle variation put into the bend arm is reflected in the tube radius as it is pushed forward. It is another example of how AddisonMckee’s innovative approach is transferable from one sector to another, the technology having originally been developed for Nissan roll bars. A further

requirement was the reduction of the envelope tolerance the middle of the tube needed to follow: from 10-12mm down to a mere 5. This was something the DB 89 machine could achieve with aplomb. But all of this precision has a purpose in closing the

An AddisonMcKee DB 89 electric bending machine

loop between what the customer requires and what it actually gets out of the machine. Precision is of the utmost importance here since, especially in the current climate, AddisonMckee’s customer simply cannot afford to throw away raw material. So getting things ‘right first time’ is crucial. There are major benefits for the end user, too, since even the most minor indentations in the tube produce a noticeably less smooth and more uncomfortable ride. The fortunes of AddisonMckee itself have certainly taken a turn for the better in recent months too as the market climbs out of recession. New ownership has galvanised the company by introducing a number of measures to ensure a smoother ride for all its customers, in, among others, the automotive, aviation, truck and shipbuilding industries. First and foremost, while the company remains a truly global concern with partners all over the world, in response to

overwhelming demand from its European customers, AddisonMckee has restored the manufacturing facility at its HQ at Bamber Bridge in the UK, a move which underscores the company’s commitment to its European partners not least by significantly reducing costs. With two manufacturing facilities in the US and the UK, AddisonMckee claims to offer something its competitors are unable to: namely, an eminently flexible supply chain to market. The company now has no less than 55 engineers committed to research and development with service personnel on hand in every continent. The new owners themselves come with the benefit of a wealth of business and industry experience, not least in the key emerging markets of the Far East. AddisonMckee – UK Email: paspinall@addisonmckee.com Website: www.addisonmckee.com

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N ovember 2011

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